The present invention relates to information processing devices such as games devices. In particular, it relates to a security system whereby means for altering (for example so as to cause the same information recording medium to selectively function as a demo version or as the product version) under prescribed conditions the processing content of a program stored on an information recording medium, such as game software, can be implemented by a simple construction and illicit use by a third party can be effectively prevented.
Game software used in game devices is distributed in the market by being recorded on portable information recording media such as for example CD ROMs or game cartridges. Such game software may comprise a regular product version which the user uses by obtaining a license from the licenser and a demo version (sample version) with the object of introducing an outline of the game to the user, subject to restrictions on some, of the processing content of the game. By introducing such a demo version on the market, it is made possible for the user to try out the demo version of the game software, and, if he likes this, to obtain a license from the licenser so as to be able to enjoy the regular product.
However, since, conventionally, the demo version was prepared separately apart from the regular product version, it was necessary to manufacture two types of information recording medium in respect of the same game software. This meant that a large amount of storage space was required for the product, increasing production costs. Also, since it was necessary to stock two types of product, namely, the product version and demo version, there were problems such as that it took time before a user could be supplied with the product version after purchasing the demo version. In view of these circumstances, it was desired to realize means for making it the same game software function selectively as a product version or as a demo version. In such cases, in particular, it was desired to realize means for effectively preventing the game software from being used as the product version by illicit use by a third party.
Also, the present applicants, in Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. H. 11-53183, proposed a technique for altering the setting of processing content of a game program in accordance with the results obtained by ascertaining whether the game recording medium was being employed in the user""s own game device or was being employed in another game device. By such a technique, since it becomes possible to produce a difference in the operating environment by differentiating game recording media employed in the user""s own game device from game recording media employed in other game devices, the value of a game recording medium employed solely in the uses own game device can be raised.
However, with this technique in order to ascertain whether or not the game recording medium was being used in the user""s own game device, a writable region was provided on the game recording medium, and the aforesaid decision processing was performed by writing identification information (for example an ID number) of the recording medium in this region. This technique therefore could not be applied to read-only media such as CD ROMs or DVD ROMs, owing to the difficulty of providing a writable region. Furthermore, with this prior art technique, there was the risk that the identification information written on the game recording medium might be rewritten by illicit means to enable its use on another game device.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, information processing method and information recording medium with a simple arrangement whereby the processing content of a prescribed program stored on the same information recording medium can be altered under prescribed conditions.
Also, a second object is to provide an information processing device, information processing method and information recording medium whereby illicit use by a third party can be prevented.
Furthermore, a third object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system that without providing a writable region on an information recording medium, can decide whether or not software recorded on the information recording medium was processed by a user""s own information processing terminal and that can realize by a simple arrangement means for varying the processing content of the software in accordance with the result of this decision and an information processing terminal and server that can be applied to this information processing system.
Furthermore, a fourth object is to provide an information recording medium on which is recorded a procedure to make a computer function as an information processing terminal or server as aforesaid.
The first object of the present invention is solved by an information processing device comprising: first means for storage that stores first identification information that is individual to the information processing device; means for reading second identification information that is individual to the information recording medium second means for storage that stores prescribed information including operation restriction of the information recording medium, third identification information individual to some information processing device, and fourth identification information individual to some information recording medium; and means for restricting the operation content of the information recording medium when the first identification information and the third identification information coincide and the second identification information and the fourth identification information coincide, in accordance with the prescribed information; and for restricting the operation content of the information recording medium under a predetermined condition when the first identification information and said third identification information do not coincide or the second identification information and the fourth identification information do not coincide. In particular, the prescribed information including operation restrictions of the information recording medium may be information specifying period of use or conditions of use etc. of the information recording medium (hereinbelow in this specification called xe2x80x9clicense content informationxe2x80x9d).
With such an arrangement the information including license content information, third identification information and fourth identification information (hereinbelow in this specification called xe2x80x9clicense informationxe2x80x9d) is supplied from the licenser to the user. This license information is stored on a suitable recording medium such as for example a portable storage medium such as back-up memory.
When an information processing device according to the present invention executes a prescribed program (for example a game program) that is recorded on an information recording medium, it determines in accordance with a prescribed algorithm whether or not the information recording medium is one for which a license has been granted (hereinbelow in this specification this is called xe2x80x9clicense checkingxe2x80x9d). If, as a result of the license checking, it is determined that the information recording medium is one for which a license has been granted, the information processing device can function to perform information processing of the information recording medium as a product version; if it is determined that the information recording medium is one for which a license has not been granted, it can function to perform information processing of the same information recording medium selectively as the product version or as a demo version, by subjecting the program that is stored on the information recording medium to prescribed restrictions.
The second object of the present invention is solved by sending license information to the inflation processing device through a communication circuit from a prescribed terminal device. In particular, preferably the license information is encrypted before being sent. With such an arrangement illicit diversion of the license information by a third party can be prevented.
Also, the second means for recording may be a portable recording medium that is externally mounted with respect to the information processing device, such as for example back-up memory. By providing license information of each individual information recording medium on each individual portable recording medium, the need to store the license information in the information processing device is eliminated.
As a preferred mode of the present invention, the information recording medium stores a game program.
In an information processing method for achieving an object of the present invention, processing steps are executed performed in various means of an information processing device according to the present invention.
An information recording medium for achieving an object of the present invention stores a program whereby an information processing method according to the present invention is executed in an information processing device.
An information recording medium as referred to herein records information (for example a game program) in a recording region of the information recording medium by some physical means, and is capable of provoking the execution of prescribed functions such as for example a game program by an information processing device such as a game device. Also, the information that is recorded therein is not restricted to a game program but could be for example CD music data or LD video data etc. The essential is that it should be capable of downloading a program to a computer by some means so as to muse this to execute a prescribed function, or cause the computer to reproduce music data or video data.
For example an information recording medium may include a CD-R, game cartridge, floppy disk magnetic tape, magneto-optic disc, CD ROM, DVD ROM, DVD RAM, ROM cartridge RAM cartridge with a battery back-up, flash memory cartridge or non-volatile RAM cartridge etc.
It may also included wired communication medium such as a telephone circuit, or communication medium such as a wireless communication medium such as a microwave circuit. The Internet is also included in communication media as referred to herein.
An information processing system according to the present invention for achieving the above third object comprises a plurality of information processing terminals that read prescribed software recorded on information recording media and execute this, and a server connected to said information processing terminals through a network and that manages the operating environment of processing at the information processing terminals, in which said saw mutually associates and stores registration information including first identification information dot is individually allocated to each information processing terminal, second identification information that is allocated beforehand to each type of software, and third identification information that is allocated to each said information recording medium in respect of software of the same type such that there is no overlap; said information processing terminal, on executing the software recorded on the information recording medium, transmits said first identification information and second identification information to the server and requests registration condition confirmation. When it has received said registration condition confirmation request, the server looks up the registration information, and, if a combination that has been sent from said information processing terminal of said first identification information and second identification information coincides with the registration information, sends to the information processing terminal a first checking result and sends a second checking result if said combination is not present. An information processing terminal that has received said first checking result executes said software under the ordinary operating environment, and an information processing terminal that has received the second checking result sends the third identification information and requests the server to register the third identification information. After it has received this registration request, the server looks up once more the registration condition and, if the third identification information that has been transmitted from the information processing terminal is not associated and registered in respect of any other information processing terminal, associates and registers this third identification information with said information processing terminal, and sends a first registration result to the information processing terminal; and, if the third identification information is associated and registered in respect of any other information processing terminal, or if there is abnormality in at least any one of the first information, second identification information or third identification information (such as for example where there is suspicion that these items of identification information have been input by illicit means or where the number of times of input of the identification information is more than necessary), sends a second registration result to the information processing terminal. After it has received the first registration result, the information processing terminal executes said software under the ordinary operating environment, and, after it has received said second registration result, said information processing terminal executes the software under a restricted operating environment.
With such a convenient arrangement, even without providing a writable region in the information recording medium, it is possible to determine whether or not the software that is recorded on the information recording medium was processed by the user""s own information processing terminal, and to alter the content of software processing in accordance with the result of this determination. In particular, since the registration information of all the information processing terminals is managed by the server, illicit actions relying on falsifying the identification information etc. can be prevented, and the setting of the operating environment at each information processing terminal can be altered by rewriting the registration information.
In a preferred mode of the present invention, the information processing terminal reads the software that is recorded on the information recording medium and, when it executes this, transmits first identification information, second identification information and third identification information to the server and requests confirmation of the registration condition. When it has received the registration condition confirmation request, the server looks up the registration information, and, if a combination that has been sent from said information processing terminal of said first identification information and second identification information coincides with the registration information, sends to said, information processing terminal a checking result to that effect and if said combination is not present, if said third identification information is not associated and registered in respect of any other information processing terminal, associates and registers this third identification information with this information processing terminal, and sends a first registration result to the information processing terminal; and, if the third identification information is associated and registered in respect of any other information processing terminal, or if there is abnormality in at least any one of the first information, second identification information or third identification information, sends a second registration result to the information processing terminal. After it has received said checking result or first registration result the information processing terminal executes said software under the ordinary operating environment and, after it has received said second registration result, said information processing terminal executes said software under a restricted operating environment.
In the example described above, it was arranged for processing as a registered user (execution of the software under the ordinary operating environment) to be formed when the first identification information and second identification information agreed; however, it could be arranged for processing as a registered user to be performed if all of the first identification information, second identification information and third identification information agree. With such an arrangement, it is possible to ascertain positively and accurately whether or not the software is being used solely in the user""s own information processing terminal.
It may be arranged for the information processing terminal, when sending the third identification information to the server, to read this third identification information stored beforehand in external memory, and to send this to the server.
With an information processing terminal according to the present invention that achieves the above third object and that reads and executes prescribed software recorded on an information recording medium, registration information including first identification information allocated individually to the information processing terminal, second identification information allocated beforehand to each type of software, and third identification information allocated to each said information recording medium in respect of software of the same type such that there is no overlap is mutually associated and stored, and when the software is executed the first identification information and second identification information are sent and a registration condition confirmation request is made to a server connected to this information processing terminal through a network. If a checking result is received to the effect that the combination of the first identification information and second identification information coincides with registration information managed by the server, said software is executed under the ordinary operating environment; if a checking result is received to the effect that this combination does not exist, third identification information is sent and a registration request of the third identification information is made to the server. If a registration result to the effect that registration was performed correctly is received, said software is executed under the ordinary operating environment, but, if registration was not performed correctly, said software is executed under a restricted operating environment.
In a preferred mode of the present invention, an information processing terminal, when it executes said software, sends first identification information, second identification information, and third identification information and makes a registration condition confirmation request to a server connected thereto through a network. If a checking result is received to the effect that the combination of said first identification information, second identification information and third identification information coincides with registration information managed by the server, said software is executed under the ordinary operating environment; if a registration result is received to the effect that the third identification information being unregistered in respect of any information processing terminal, registration of this third identification information was performed correctly, said software is executed under the ordinary operating environment, but if a registration result is received to the effect that said registration was not performed correctly, said software is executed under a restricted operating environment.
A server according to the present invention which achieves the third object is connected through a network with a plurality of information processing terminals that read prescribed software that is recorded on an information recording medium and execute this, and manages the operating environment of processing at these information processing terminals; it mutually associates and stores registration information including first identification information individually allocated to each information processing terminal, second identification information allocated beforehand to each type of software, and third identification information allocated to each said information recording medium in respect of software of the same type such that there is no overlap; and it receives a registration condition confirmation request including said first identification information and second identification information sent to this server by said information processing terminal as a processing step prior to execution of the software. As a result of looking up the registration information, it transmits a first checking result to the effect that said software is to be executed under the ordinary operating environment to the information processing terminal, if the combination of said first identification information and second identification information that is sent from said information processing terminal coincides with registration information; if this combination does not exist, it sends to said information processing terminal a second checking result seeking the registration of third identification information in respect of said information processing terminal. If a registration request for this identification information is received together with said third identification information, it again looks up the registration condition, and, if said third identification information that was sent from the information processing terminal is not associated and registered in respect of any other information processing terminal, associates and registers this third identification information with this information processing terminal and sends a first registration result to this information processing terminal to the effect that the software is to be executed under the ordinary operating environment and, if said third identification information is associated and registered in respect of some other information processing terminal, or if at least any one of said first identification information, second identification information or third identification information contains abnormality, sends to the information processing terminal a second registration result to the effect that said software is to be executed under a restricted operating environment.
As a preferred mode of the present invention, a server receives a registration condition confirmation request including first identification information, second identification information and third identification information sent to this over by an information processing terminal as a processing step prior to execution of the software, as a result of looking up said registration information, it transmits a checking result to the effect that said software is to be executed under the ordinary operating environment to said information processing terminal, if the combination of said first identification information, second identification information and third identification information that is sent from said information processing terminal coincides with registration information; if this combination does not exist, if said third identification information is not associated and registered in respect of any other information processing terminal, it associates and registers this third identification information with this information processing terminal and sends a first registration result to said information processing terminal to the effect that the software is to be executed under the ordinary operating environment; and, if said third identification information is associated and registered in respect of some other information processing terminal, or if at least any one of said first identification information, second identification information or third identification inflation contains abnormality, it sends to said information processing terminal a second registration result to the effect that said software is to be executed under a restricted operating environment.
A recording medium according to the present invention for achieving the above fourth object is a recording medium for a terminal or a recording medium for a server on which is recorded a procedure to cause a computer to function as an information processing terminal or as a server according to the present invention.